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At least 54 policemen, including 20 officers and 34 conscripts, were killed when a raid on a militant hideout outside of Cairo escalated into an all-out firefight, authorities said Saturday.
It was one of the largest losses of life for Egyptian security forces since militants began targeting government forces after the 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, whose one-year rule proved divisive.
The officials said the exchange of fire began late Friday in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza governorate, about 84 miles from the capital after security services moved in.
The officials say the death toll could increase. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry issued a statement on the raid late Friday but didn’t provide a death toll. The police also deployed aircraft to confront the militants late Friday, officials said.
The clashes continued after nightfall, Egypt’s state TV reported on its official website. State-run MENA news agency also reported the attack but…
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